Miss Universe New Zealand prepares for a final push, with a record number already entered

2013.6.19 by JY&A Admin

Auckland, June 20 (JY&A Media) Miss Universe has just announced that the world final will be held in Moscow, Russia in November. The winner form New Zealand will be representing the country at that competition and so the organizers behind Miss Universe New Zealand are reminding any girls who would still like to enter that the cut-off date of July 1 is fast approaching.
A record number of young women have already entered the competition this year, say the organizers. It will also return to television for the first time in 21 years, with a broadcast on Juice TV later this year.
Entrants can head to the official website at www.nextmissnz.com.
‘We’ve really proud that we’ve been able to bring a new energy to Miss Universe New Zealand, and we know from all the feedback that the public is excited about what we have in store,’ says executive producer Nigel Godfrey, who is currently working on the Miss Universe Red Carpet Gala which will comprise both a Variety Spectacular and the Live Final of the competition.
The crown, designed by Anita du Plessis-Dutton of Aqua Jewels Ltd., will adorn the winner of the 2013 competition, which will be held in Auckland later this year.
‘We have noticed first-hand how people are responding to the new team behind Miss Universe New Zealand, and our social media engagement, on Facebook and Instagram, has been the best in the competition’s history,’ notes national director Evana Patterson.
‘It’s only the tip of the iceberg,’ says Jack Yan, general counsel for Miss Universe New Zealand. ‘Not only are we seeing the brand revitalized this year, returning to TV after 21 years’ absence, it is 30 years since Lorraine Downes became New Zealand’s only winner at Miss Universe. It’s an auspicious year, and there’s even more to come.’
The organizers say that they will make announcements over major sponsors in the upcoming weeks, as well as details of the semifinalists from around the country.

Note to editors
The Miss Universe name, the ‘woman with the stars’ symbol, and Miss Universe New Zealand are registered trade marks of Miss Universe LP, LLLP, and used by the Miss New Zealand Consortium under licence.

About Nigel Godfrey
In 1990 TVNZ made Nigel an offer he couldn’t refuse and he moved to New Zealand. After a few years with TVNZ and a stint in Christchurch with New Zealand’s first regional broadcaster CTV, he returned to Auckland and in 1995 he founded Eureka Productions.
The last 18 years has seen Nigel and Eureka produce hundreds of hours of broadcast television programming on both sides of the Tasman. Some of the highlights: the children’s show Y for Channel 9 in Australia, Sky’s coverage of the international première of The Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King, interviewing Stephen Fry, ‘Crocodile Hunter’ Steve Irwin, Lee Tamahori, Robson Green and many others, whilst producing 120 episodes of Sky Scene for Sky TV.
In 2009, Nigel produced the first Telethon that New Zealand had seen in 20 years, raising $2 million dollars for underprivileged children. In 2010 Nigel staged and produced for television The New Zealand Variety Show, a star-studded Kiwi version of the UK’s Royal Variety Show. Nigel has worked with TVNZ and TV3 on Masterchef, Idol, Stars in Their Eyes, So You Think You Can Dance?, Deal or No Deal and countless other prime-time franchises. He has also produced and directed a wide range of TV commercials with, amongst others, Trinny and Susannah, Gorden Kaye and Sir Michael Caine.
Nigel is also well known as an actor both on stage and in front of the camera. He has starred in The Phantom of the Opera and in 2011 he returned to the stage as Moonface Martin in the multi-million dollar Auckland revival of Anything Goes. He has appeared in five feature films, sharing the screen with Jon Voight, John Hurt, David Strathairn and, most recently, a rather large ape. He has also guest-starred in around 15 TV series including Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Legend of the Seeker and Power Rangers. He has also taken the “hero” role in around 35 commercials including a wildly successful US campaign entitled We Are the Champions for a certain little blue pill. He also produces a number of large-scale events including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

About Evana Patterson
Evana Patterson has been involved in the world of modelling in New Zealand for well over a decade. She has worked as a model, worked inside a model agency and has directed numerous fashion shoots. Evana has been a well respected professional make-up artist for nearly 13 years, graduating from the Cut Above Academy in 2000. She is currently the make-up artist for Max Factor having won their nationwide search for Make-up Artist of the Year. Evana also works as the show choreographer with World TV for the annual Miss Chinese Cosmos and Miss Chinese New Zealand competitions. When she can she also enjoys giving her time as a make-up artist for the Look Good, Feel Better Charity.
As if all of the above isn’t enough to keep her busy, she is also a respected fitness instructor, personal trainer, sports nutrition consultant, and Mum to 18-month-old Mila.

About Jack Yan
Jack Yan founded Jack Yan & Associates (http://jya.net), one of the world’s first virtual firms, in 1987, operating internationally. Among his company’s interests are business consulting, imaging, software and media, including the fashion magazine brand Lucire, which is published internationally in print and online formats. He writes on topics, ranging from branding and business responsibility to fashion and typography, in numerous publications and journals worldwide and is a regular international speaker. He serves on the editorial board for The Journal of Brand Management. He has authored or co-authored numerous books, including Beyond Branding, Typography and Branding and, most recently, Nation Branding: Country Concepts and Cases. His personal site is at jackyan.com. He is a director of the Medinge Group (http://medinge.org), a think-tank in Sweden devoted to cutting-edge branding. He was one of the parties behind the successful bid for Miss Sweden in 2003 for Panos Emporio. In 2010, he ran a strong but unsuccessful campaign for Mayor of Wellington, New Zealand, netting 12 per cent of the vote on his first attempt.